Chimpanzees love to solve puzzles in the same way as human crossword addicts,
scientists have found.

The apes, which are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, seem to get the same level of satisfaction out of solving brain teasers as their human evolutionary cousins.

A study published by the Zoological Society of London shows that six chimpanzees who were given a game which involved moving red dice or Brazil through a maze of pipes enjoyed solving the puzzle whether they got a reward or not.

The researchers claim this suggests they got the same kind of psychological reward as humans get when solving problems.

Most problem solving witnessed in the animal kingdom, where animals use tools or navigate mazes, are with the aim of reaching food. Hyenas, octopuses and birds such as crows all show the ability to solve problems.

Chimpanzees have also been witnessed in the wild using tools such as a stick to forage for insects or honey in hard to reach places like tree stumps.

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But ZSL researcher Fay Clark said their research said they could be motivated by more than just food.

She said: “We noticed that the chimps were keen to complete the puzzle regardless of whether or not they received a food reward.

"This strongly suggests they get similar feelings of satisfaction to humans who often complete brain games for a feel-good reward.”

The six adult chimps – two females and one male – took part in the challenge every day at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire voluntarily. They were not trained on how to use the device.

They had to move red dice or nuts through a network of pipes by prodding sticks through holes until they fell out into a container.

The researchers, whose study is published in the American Journal of Primatology, created higher "levels" of challenge by adding additional pipes and making the pipes opaque so the chimpanzees could not see what was inside.

If they completed the puzzle they would receive the Brazil nuts or on other occasions they would get a red dice.

The apes were also given treats in separate boxes as part of the zoo's "enrichment programme", meaning the chimps could choose whether they completed the puzzle as they would receive a reward regardless.

"For chimps in the wild, this task is a little bit like foraging for insects or honey inside a tree stump or a termite mound, except more challenging because the dice to not stick to the tool," said Ms Clark.